Vulcanizer



L. J. LARKIN El" AL VULCANIZER Filed April 19, 1946 April 6, 1948.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 d ,h W2 Mapn dw nm fla Mi 1 Q m 6 6 P 6, 1948' L. J. LARKIN ETAL 2,439,011

' VULCANI'ZER Filed April 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m H NN m E E April 6, 1948.

' L, J. LAR-KIN El AL VULCANIZER- Filed April 19, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 '1 VULCANIZER Leo J. Larkin, John J. Regan, and Gerald A. Larkin, La Crosse, Wis., assignors to La Crosse Rubber Mills Company, La Crosse, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 19, 1946, Serial No. 663,394

Claims. 1

The invention relates to a vulcanizer of the general type in which cars supporting footwear or other articles to be cured, are confined in a horizontally elongated casing in which air under pressure is heated to a vulcanizing temperature and circulated.

Heretofore, it has been practically impossible to uniformly heat and circulate the air throughout the length of vulcanizers of the above mentioned type, resulting in non-uniform vulcanizing, but the present invention has effectively overcome this difficulty.

Figsrl and 1a of the accompanying drawings jointly disclose a substantially central, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the improved vulcanizer.

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views on lines 2-2 and 3--3 of Fig. 1.

The general construction shown in the drawings may be considered as preferred and while that construction will be rather specifically described, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

A horizontally elongated cylindrical casing 5, is provided, said casing having a head 6 at its rear end and a suitably operated door I at its front end. Heat insulation has been shown at 8 on the head 6 and door 1 and may well be used throughout if desired. For later reference, the casing top is denoted at 9, the opposed substantially vertical sidewalls at Ill, and the bottom at H. Suitable rails [2 are secured upon the bottom II to support the cars (not shown) upon which the articles to be vulcanized, are supported. i

A transversely arched inner wall i3 is suitably secured in the casing 5 and extends substantially throughout the length thereof, said arched inner wall l3 having a preferably flat top portion M spaced downwardly from the casing top 9, and substantially vertical side portions extending downwardly from said top portion l4 and spaced inwardly from the opposed casing sides II]. In the present disclosure, these side portions of the arched inner wall l3 are formed of upper, intermediate and lower sections l5, l6 and Il suitably secured together, the lower edges l8 of the sections ll being spaced above the casing bottom II. The arched inner wall l3 thus coacts with the casing top 9 and side walls ill in forming a transversely arched chamber Hi, the lower portions of which communicate at 20 with the space 2| within the confines of said arched inner wall 13. Openings 22 are formed through longitudinally spaced portions of the inner wall top 14 and place the upper portion of the arched chamber I9 in communication with the upper portion of the space 2|, and blowers 23 are provided in said chamber l9 over said openings for transversely circulating the air as indicated by the arrows.

Longitudinal, air-heating, steam coils 24 are provided in the arched chamber I9 between the casing side walls In and the sections ll; of the arched inner wall I3, and said coils are provided with heat-radiating fins 25 secured to said sections l6. Heating coil units of the fin-type shown are customarily manufactured with longitudinal side plates, and we simply utilize these side plates to form the sections 16 of the arched inner wall l3. There are two of these heating units at each side of the vulcanizer in the construction shown, and the ends of said units are spaced apart to facilitate installation of the necessary fittings. To prevent any of the circulated air from passing between the units instead of through them, suitable baffles 26 are employed. Other baflles prevent the air from passing behind the rear ends of the rear coils, one of these baffles being shown at 21 in Fig. la.

Transverse arched partitions 28 are provided in the arched chamber l9 between the openings 22 and thus allot a predetermined portion of the air to each blower so that better circulation will result. These partitions 28 extend from the heating coils at one side. of the casing to those at the other side but none are necessary below these heating coils.. The partitions 28 may be welded or otherwise secured to the casing 5 and the upper sections IE or the inner wall l3, as well as the top I4, may be flanged at 29 and secured to the inner edges of said partitions.

The front and rear ends of the upper portion of the arched chamber I9 communicate at 30 with the end portions of the casing 5, and transverse fin-typesteam coils 3| are mounted in said ends to heat the air which is downwardly circulated in said casing ends as indicated by the arrows. From the ends of the coils 3| to the level of the coils 24, the front and rear ends of the chamber Ill are closed by plates 32; Were it not for theheaters 3|, the zones within the end portions of the casing 5 (including the outer end portions of theendmost of the spaces 2!) would be cooler than the rest of said spaces M. This is due to the fact that there is considerable added metal in the end enclosure 6 and door 1 and considerable heat losses from said added metal, even though insulated. The heaters 3i are so sized and rated as to merely compensate for these heat losses without overheating the aforesaid zones.

Suitable provision may be made for injecting air under desired pressure into the casing, and the pipe 33 of Fig. la may be considered as for this purpose. Then too, any instruments necessary for temperature control, pressure-control, etc., may be connected with the casing in any suitable ways forming no parts of the present invention.

gated closed casing having a door at one end; a

transversely arched inner wall. extending substantially throughout the length of said casing, said transversely arched inner wall having at'op portion spaced downwardly from the top of said casing, andsubstantially vertical side portions extending downwardly from said top portion and spaced inwardly from opposed side wall's'of said casing, said transversely arched in'ner wallcoacting with said casing top and side walls in forming a transversely arched air chamber, saidside portions of said transversely arched inner wall having'lower edges spaced upwardly from the casing bottom to place the lower portions of said transversely arched chamber in communication with the space within the confines of'said transversely arched inner wall, said top portion of said transversely arched inner wall having longitudinally spaced openings placing the upper portion of said transversely arched chamber in communication with said space; air blowing means adjacent each of said openings for causing 'fl'owof air therethrough in one direction to transversely circulate the air in said casing and said transversely arched' chamber, air heaters in said transversely arched chamber for heating the circulated air, and transverse partitions in said transversely arched chamber between said longitudinally spaced openings and segregating the air blowing means .of these openings-from each other.

2. Astructure as specified in claim 1,; the ends of said upper portion .of said transversely arched chamber being in communication with the end portions of said casing, and .air heaters in said ends of said upper portion of said transversely arched chamber.

3. A vulcanizer comprising a horizontally elongated closed casing having .a door at .one end; a transversely arched. inner wallv extending substantially throughout the length of said casing, said. transversely arched inner wall having a top portionspaced downwardly from the .top of said casing, and substantially vertical side portions extending downwardly from said top portion and. spaced inwardly from opposed side walls of said: casing, said transversely arched inner wall coacting with said casing top and side wallsinfnrm-i-ng a. transversely arched air chamber, said sideportions of said transversely arched inner wall-having lower edges spaced upwardly from the casingbottom to place the lower portions of said trans-- versely arched chamber in communication with.

the space within the confines of said transversely arched inner wall, said top portion of said transversely arched inner-wal-l having longitudinally spaced openings placing the upper portion of said transversely arched chamber in communication with said space; air blowing. means adjacent each of said openings for causing flow of. air there'- through in one direction to transversely circulate:

the air in said casing and said transversely arched chamber, horizontally elongated air heating coils disposed longitudinally in said transversely arched chamber between said side portions of said transversely arched inner wall and said op 4 posed side walls of said casing, and transverse partitions in said transversely arched chamber between said longitudinal-lyspacetl openings and segregating the air heating means of these openings from each other.

14.:A structure as specified in claim 2; the ends of said upper portion of said transversely arched chamber being in communication with the end portions of said casing, and horizontally elongated air'heatingpoils disposed transversely in said transversely-arched inner wall having atop.

portion spaced downwardly from the top of said casing, and substantially vertical side portions extending downwardly f rom said top portion spaced inwardly from opposed side walls of said casing; said transversely arched-inner" wall coacting. withsaid casing top and-side walls in forming a transversely arched air chamber; said sideportions of said transversely arched. inner wall having 'lower' ecl ges -spacedl upwardly from the casing bottom to place theilawer portionsof said' transversely arched chamber in communication with the space within the-confinesof said transverselyiarched innerwa'll, said'top poiition dt-said transversely arched inner wall long itudi naily spaced openings placing the upper portion of said transversely arched chamber incommmiication withisaid space; an: blowing means adiaeent each :ofrsaidkopremlngsfbr causing flow of air therethroughin onedirection to transversely citculatethelair insaid casingiand:said 'transverseiy arched; horizontally elongated. air-insating coils disposed longitudinally insai'd versely arched chamber between said: side portions- :of said-transversely arched. inner wall and saideopposed .side walls of :said: casing; transverse partitions in said transversely .anched between said longitudinal-llyspaced. openings :and segregatingthe blowing ozf open.- ingsfrom each other, transversely arched partitions extending downwanalyto said air heating. coils; additional: horizontally elongated aireheating. coils disposed transversely in the ends of: said upper portion of said; transversely arched chamber, said ends being in communicationzwith the endportions of said casing; and plates extending from the ends off said additional coils tothe first mentioned coils and partially closing the front and ends of said: transversely REFERENCES CITED The ,iollowing reterences [of IwGId. in: the

file patent:

UNITED .S'IATESIEATENTS Great Britain June 20., 1936 

